Process and apparatus for the separation of oils and gases.



P. JONES. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE SEPARATION OF OILS AND GASES.

APPLICATION FILEDMAR.30. 1916- 1 VENTOR.

BY j ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

' n STATES PATENT PHILIP corms, or seizure menu, CALIFORNIA.

rnocnss AND arrmerus .ron ma sErA-nA'rIon or oIts AND eesns.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, PHILIP JoNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Maria, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Processes and Apparatus for the Separation of Oils and Gases from a Flowing Mixture Thereof, and of which the followin is a specification.

This invention re ates to that class of apparatus used to separate the gas and oil in a flowing mixture under such conditions of pressure as to prevent the lighter volatile constituents being passed oflt with the gas,

these being held in the liquid oils for subsequent recovery and has application more I articularly to the separation of the product rom oil and gas wellsflowing under pressure, although it will be obvious that it may also be used with advantage where a pressure for the separation process is artificially established or where pressure is to be employed to force the supply of the resulting gas. It has for its object the retaining within the liquid oils the lighter constituents, as for example gasolene, and consequently retaining these from the gas which passes ofi drier than in processes heretofore employed. g

In gas and in gas and oil wells flowing under pressure. there is an excess of gaseous product which under atmospheric pressure carries with it, when separated from the oil, large percentages of the lighter constituents which are extremely difiicult, if not commercially impossible, of recovery from the gas on account of the large volumes that must be handled for the recovery of small quantities of the lighter constituents. I

By .my process I accomplish the separation under pressure and thereby prevent the gas takin up more than a small percentage of the lig ter constituents, which on account Specification of Letters Patent.

' and controlling the gas valve Patented an. 29, 1918.

Application flIed MaIch 30, 1916. Serial No. 87,806.

quantity of the lighter constituents are separated from the gas and retained with'the heavler oils. Y I

Fig; 2 is a diagrammatic view 'ofthe process carried further to simplify the separation into dry gas, saturated gas, and the heavier oils, the lighter constituents being much 'more readily separated from the saturated or nearly saturated gas than from the highly diluted gas.

Similar letters refer to similar parts I throughout the figures.

(a) is the supply of gas and oil from the well or other source-under pressure.

(al isa shield or diaphragm to-direct downward the flowing mixture to make more efiective the oil separation, (0) is a similar diaphragm in chamber 0), and shown in section.

b) is the separator or trap chamber.

0) is a bod of oil in the lower part of the chamber (d) is a float mounted on a suitable stem v e) and preferably guided at (f) and (g).

h) is the conduit for dry gas, and

z') the conduit for oil stil carrying the lighter constituents retained therein due to' the ressure maintained in chamber (6).

is the valve controlling theoil flow from (b) and (j') is an alternative form of obstruction as a diaphragm with small hole therein, and shown in section.

(k is a sand valve for cleaning chamber (6) 1n which sediment, dirt and sand settle from the oil body (0).

(70 is a valve to control the in ec't 1on of a part of the dry gas to saturate 1t w1th the lighter constituents for purposes of separating them from the heavier oils.

(70"; is a by-pass valve. This valve is normal closed.

(Z), (1") are pressure gages to indicate pressures in various stages of the process.

(m) is an injector for dry. gas which dry as takes up and becomes saturated with the ighter constituents of the oils.

(n) is the oil mixture tube by which thge oil is conveyed by the'injector nozzle (m and thence mto the settling chamber (0) in which .it settles as (g) and is discharged therefrom, as storage under the control of the float (p) and valve (p) through the conduit (1') while the saturated gas is passed or through the conduit (8) a. further treatment.

The operation is as follows: see Fig. 1

' The mixture of oil and gas under-pressure (Z is conveyed through conduit (a) against the deflector (a) into the chamber ((5) where due to the reduction in velocity the oils are deposited at (c) the gas remaining in the upper part of chamber (1)). When the process is first started the gas flowing in (h) is restrained by a suitable valve in (it) (not shown) so as to maintain a suitable pressure as will be indicated at (Z). As the oil body (a) rises the float (at) will rise therewith causing the valve (6) to come into action and partly close oil the gas How and so maintain, when roperly adjusted, the suitable pressure (Z5 in (b) said pressure being higher than '(Zf) and substantially equal to (Z'). The gas under pressure (Z) will not retain nearly as great a percentage of the lighter constituents, the oil flow will be continuous through (i) (y') [or (f) (Fig. 2)]. Where it isdesired to separate the lighter constituents from the heavy oils, I prefer. to use a small ercentage of the dry gas from conduit it? and passing this intimately through the oi s seturate 1t with the lighter constituents, as for example 'gasolene. This mixing of the gas and oil occurs at the nozzle (m) and tube A (n) andthence against the diaphragm (0'). The heavier oils, and which are not taken its up by the gas, fall. to the lower part of chamber (0), as at .(g) and then may be conveyed away through conduit (1*) under the control of the fioat-(p) and valve (10'). The gas fromthe nozzle (m), now saturated with gasolene and other light constituents, is passed ofl' through the conduit (8) for further and well known separation treatment, the latter forming no part of my invention.

It willbe seen that the process as set forth in Fig. 1 secures a separation of a greater percentage of the light constituents from the gas, while the further ste Fig. 2 cm loys some of the. ry' gas to aid in the furt er'separation of the lighter from the heavier constituents, the former securing by a simple step the separation of dry gas and oils of light and heavy specific gravlty, and the latter by one further step securing the separation of the heavy oils from the hghter, winch are carried away with a small portion of the gas which has been previously separated and from which they may then be separated, there being two products from'the prc-cess as shown in Fig. l and three products from that shown in Fig. 2.

I claim:

1. A process for the separation of mixed gasand oils under pressure consisting of reducing the velocity of the flowing mixture set forth inv intents sage and the oils through another conand the constraint on the oil causing the separation to proceed under pressure above the atmosphere.

2. A process for the separation of mixed gas and oils under pressure'consisting of rc-. ducing the velocity of the flowin -mixture to permit the oils to settle by g'ravlty thence passing the gas through a constrained passage and the oils through another constrained passage, the constraint on the gas and the constraint on the oil causing the separation to proceed under pressure above the atmosphere,the constraint on the gas being automatically controlled.

3. A process for the separation of mixed gas and oils under pressure consisting of reucing the velocity of the flowing mixture to permit the oils to settle by gravity thencepassing the gas through a constrained passage and the oils through another constrained passage, the constraint on the gas and the constraint on the oil causing the separation to proceed under pressure above .the atmosphere, the constraint on the gas being automatically controlled by the oil level.

4t. A process for the recovery of lighter constituents frommixed 011s and gas fiowing under pressure and'consistin of reducing the velocity of the mixed oi s and gas in a separating. chamber under pressure Where their separation will occur by gravity thence passing a portion of the gas so separated through the oils previously separated, for the purpose of taking up the "lighter gravity 011s, and passing the remaining gas through a separate conduit, and passingthe remainder of the oils through a separate conduit.

5. Apparatus for the separation of gas and oils, consisting of a receiving chamber adapted to receive the mixed oils and gas in which separation takes restricted outlet for the oils, a restricted outlet for the gas.

place by gravity, a-

6. Apparatus for the separation of oils and gas, consisting of a receiving chamber within whichand while under pressure the oil separates from the gas by gravity, a restricted outlet for the oil, a restricted outlet for the gas. 1

7. Apparatus for the continuous separa-- tion of mixed oils and gas consisting of a receiving chamber within which and while under pressure above the atmosphere separation of the oils from the gas takes place by gravity, a restricted outlet for the oils,

an automatically adjust-able restricted out--.

let for the gas, the restricted outlets adapted to maintain pressure within the receivin chamber during the separation. 8. Apparatus for the continuous separation of oils and gasfromthe mixture thereof flowing, from wells under pressune'and 30 consisting of a. i'eceivin'g chamber within. 'tain the gas eeparation under pi'eswhicla the1 mixture is infiroducedandmaliinsure. v

'taine' un er pressure W ile separation ta es place by a restricted passage for the oils,

5 a passageffor the gas with an admission Witnesses: l

'valve thereto, said valve under the control of. GUY L Goonwm,

the rate of the oil separation so as to main- EDWIN C. Conmtou 

